Our Newest Vikings

That question was evident on the faces of nearly 600 new students as they made their way through two days of get-to-know-you games and preparation for their new homes in the fall at Berry College.

The Berry College Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) program for incoming freshmen and transfer students is designed to assist students and their families with the transition into the Berry community. SOAR is the first part of orientation followed by Viking Venture, which starts just before the beginning of the fall semester.

As in years past, parents work through a stack of important financial and informational papers while their sons and daughters mingle, get their job assignments and class schedules, and begin finding their place on campus. Small groups of students are paired with two upper-class SOAR leaders. Within their groups, students get to know each other better, talk about what concerns them about entering college and what they are excited to experience.

“I was really nervous about meeting people, but SOAR was so fun and informative that I am now confident in my decision to come here,” said incoming freshman Garrett Miller of Duluth, Ga.

This confidence is the response the SOAR team hopes to elicit from each incoming student for each session.

“Being able to meet the incoming freshmen and their families has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” SOAR leader Hayden Sloan said. “I hope to instill a sense of excitement and Berry pride that will stay with them throughout the rest of the summer before they return for classes in the fall.”

###

Story by Student Public Relations Assistant McKenzie Reeves and photos by Student Photographer Blake Childers